William t



(No Model.)

W. T. WILSON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 349,555. Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

- Inventor.

NY PETERS. Phowl lhngmpheh Walhinglov n. c.

' secured to the car.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()rFicE.

\VILLIAM T. \VILSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,555, dated September 21, 1886.

Application filed July 24, 1886.

To all whom it may concern;

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM T. WILsoN, a citizen of the United States,-residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplings in which a ball is used to hold the link-pin up preparatory to coupling.

Its objectis to produce an automatic carcoupling of simple construction, and having every movement positive, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described, shown, and claimed, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a side elevation showing the linkpin in an elevated position, so that the link may be inserted. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the link pin and link in place. Fig. 3 is a top view of the body of the coupling, showing the hole through which the-pin is inserted, and a top view of the wedge for keeping the pin from being drawn out. Fig. 4: isa vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the body of the coupling in line X XjFig. 5, showing the position of the ball when the link isinserted. Fig. 5 represents an end elevation of a portion of a car and' a front view of .the coupling complete. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through a portion of the body of athe coupling in line Z Z, Fig. 5 showing :an interior view of the lower side of the same, and also some of the operating mechanism, shown partly by dotted lines; and Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section through the body of the coupling in line V V, Fig. 5, showing the ball in position to hold the pin up out of the way until the link is inserted, and also the pivoted arm and one of its nearly-vertical bars for elevating the li-nk. I

1 represents a portion. of a car; 2, 3, and 4,

the ordinary beams by which the coupling is These beams or blocks are secured to theend of the car in the usual manner by bolts 5, and the coupling is secured thereto and to the car in the ordinary and wellknown way. 1

The body of the coupling 6 is usually made of cast-iron, as being the best and cheapest material. It is made hollow and of an interior Serial No. 208,944. (No model.)

it so that it eannotbe drawn entirely out again.

It'will be noticed that the link-pin 11 is provided with the small projection 12, (see Fig. 7,) which makes the inclined bottom50 of the link-pin too large to come out of the opening 8, as shown in Fig. 7, and in order to insert it the key 10 is taken out, thereby enlarging the transverse opening by means of the Y keyway, so that the link-pin can be turned crosswise and put in, after which it is turned to its proper position and the key inserted and fastened in place. The pin being oblong in crosssection, so as to adapt it to fit the hole 8, it cannot be turned around or Withdrawn while this wedge is in place. By this construction I am enabled to make the link-pin of one solid piece, instead of putting on the proj eetion 12 or its equivalent, as is usually done. The link-pin is also provided with a depression or shallow recess, 13. The object of this is to prevent the link from inclining downward when drawn forward, from which position it may be readily changed by means of the arms 28- or 29 being used to move the angular arm 32 33, and

thereby operating the link-lifting mechanism for moving the liftingspins 46, which may be operated to jar the link loose from the depression 13 in the link-pin, so as to let it drop and incline downward; or it .niay be thus lifted so as to incline upward, so it can be made to enter draw-heads-of cars of 1 different heights.

The inside of the coupling is formed so as to leave aclear opening through it, (see Fig. 7,) and is providedwith azconcave socket portion, 14, into which the ball 15 is forced when the link is inserted, as shown in Fig. 4. Back of this socket is a smaller opening: or throat, 16, through which dirt or other material that might obstruct the ball in its backward movement may pass out. At the front of the socket portion let is an inclined portion, 17, which causes the ball 15, when free, to roll down from its position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig. 7.

It will be seen that the link-pin 11 is placed so that when resting on the ball it touches it at the point 18, or back of the center. (See Fig. 7.) By this means it is impossible to get the ball out of place by pressing down upon the link-pin, as the tendency of such pressure on the link-pin is to force the ball out toward the opening of the coupling, and that opening being smaller than the ball it is thereby held there, so that the pin cannot be got down until the link is inserted and the ball forced back from under it. This is an important feature, as it renders it impossible for the link-pin to drop until the link is inserted, which is done while in the act of coupling the cars together.

The device for eleva'tin g the link-pin is construeted as follows: 19 represents a curved arm, pivoted by a pivot, 20, to its supporting pieee 21. This arm is provided with a notch, 22, and

the projecting piece 21 is provided with a corresponding notch, 23. At the outer end of the arm 19 is connected a chain, 24, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 5,) having its opposite end connected to the link-pin 11. 25 25 represent a rod of about three fourths of an in inch in diameter, (more or less.) It is provided with the bent portions 26 26, forming cranks connected by the portion 27, and it is also provided with the handles 28 29, for operating it, and is pivoted in loosely-fitted boxes 30. It will now be seen that by this construction this device may be operated from either side of the ,car, (see Fig. 5,) the arms or handles 28 and 29, and the parts 25 and bent portions 26 being all formed in one piece, and that by moving either of the arms 28 or 29 in the direction of the arrows c, or from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, the pivoted arm 19 will be raised up, and by means of the chain 24 it will also raise the link-pin up, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby allowing the ball 15 to roll forward, as shown in Fig. 7. 28 and 29 also looks the device, so as to hold the link-pin from falling down,even if the ball 15 7 should, from any cause, be moved from under it. A

The locking is done by the part 27 passing over the supporting-piece 21 into the notch 23, it being fitted loosely in its bearings 31, so as to permit it to lift up far enough to pass over and drop into the notch 23. At the same time the part 27 passes under the pivoted arm 19, and lifts it into the position shown in Fig. 1, and lifts the link-pin 11, as before mentioned.

The pivoted arm 19 may or may not beprovided witha notch, 22, asfit will operate without it, provided the notch 23 is made deep enough to secure the part 27. When coupling a car,the handles are turned back to the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the link-pin is supported in its upward position by the ball yl. c v

. The construction and operation of the mechanism for lifting the end of the link, so as to This movement of the arms answer for cars of different heights, is as follows: 32 33 represent an angular arm pivoted by a pin, 34, to the supporting-piece 35. To the part 33 is pivoted by a pin 36, a connectingrod, '37. 38 is an arm pivoted by a pin, 39, to a supporting-piece,'40, which is firmly secured to the beam 2. This arm 38 is pivoted at one end by a pin, 41, to the lower end of the connecting-rod 37, and its opposite end is bent into the form of a hook, 42. (See Fig. 2.)

0n the under part of the coupling-head is a pivoted arm, 43, pivoted to the supportingpiece 44 by a pin, 45. To the front end of this arm'is pivoted a yoke-shaped piece having the two upwardly-projecting vpins 46. These pins 46 project through projections in the front part of the coupling-head, as shown. The opposite end of this arm 43 projects through the hook 42, (shown in Fig. 2,) the arm 38 being pivoted in a diagonal position, as shown, (see Fig. 6,) so as to permit the end of the arm 43 to pass through the hook. It will now be seen from this construction that when the handles 28 and 29 are turned down into the position shown in Fig. 2 the part 27 will come in contact with the part 32 of the angular arm, and cause it to rock on its'pivot, thereby lifting the part 33, and by means of the connecting-rod 37 lift the pivoted end of the arm 38 and depress the hook-shaped end 42, and thereby depress the end of the arm 43, which passes through it. This operation raises the opposite end and the pins 46', and thereby lifts the link 47 into the position shown by the dotted lines 48 in Fig. 2.

In coupling a-car,all that is necessary to do is to lift the link-pin in the position shown in ICC Fig. 1,and then turn the handles down again,so

as to leave the pin supported on the ball alone, and, if required, the link may be lifted, as before mentioned, to suit the height of the car to be coupled. The cars are then run together, and the link enters the coupling, forces the ball out of the way, and permits the pin to drop.

I am aware that a ball has heretofore been used to'hold the link-pin up preparatory to coupling a car. I therefore do not claim such, broadly; but

What I do claim is V 1. In a car-coupling, a hollow coupling or draw-head having the socketed portion 14, an inclined passage for the ball, and a' smaller outletrope'nin g to limit the forward movement of the ball, in combination with a link-pin having the bottom inclined and located so as to rest upon theball at a point back of its center, and a means, substantially as specified, for raising the link-pin, whereby the link-pin cannot be forced down until the ball is pushed out of the way by the link,substantia1ly 'as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the rod 25 25, set loosely in bearings and provided with operatinghandles and cranks united by the part 27, in combination with the supporting piece 21,

having a notch, 23, and the curved arm 19,

V tially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the drawor coupling head having the holes 8 and 9, the hole 8 being provided with a keyway and aremovable key, in combination with a link-pin, 11, having the lower projecting portion, 18, whereby the link-pin is retained in its place when entered and secured by the key, so that it can neither be turned around nor withdrawn while the key is in place, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the handles for operating the parts 27, the pivoted angular arm 32 33, connected by a connection to the pivoted arm 38, having the hook-shaped portion 42, the pivoted arm 43, and the forked bar 46 46, in combination with the draw-head of a carpression, 13, on the inner side, substantially as and for the purposes described.

WV. T. WILSON. Vitnesses:

JENNIE M. CALDWELL, I JAMES SANGsTER.

coupling, and a link-pin, 11, having a de- 30 

